GROWING THINGS

[looneytunes]

My pepper plants are huge and tomatoe plants are in bloom.  Cucumbers starting to run and blooms on my yellow squash.  I love garden season!  We have lots of organic fertilizer, we clean out the feed pens twice a year and pile it up to compost, the next year it's ready to use on the garden. 

[peleroja]

I also have peppers, including one called pinot noir, which is black.  Just have some zucchini in addition to that.  Want to get some cucumbers also.

[paris]

I watch Beth work on her veggie plants. She has a lovely, big tomato plant with lots of blooms.  Also peppers and cucumbers. And all kinds of herbs.   I stick to flowers! But I will enjoy the "fruits" of Beth's labor!

[cariad]

I'm hardening my tomatoes this week by leaving them out during the day and bringing them in later each night ... yellow leaves now does signal an issue though. Tomatoes want a certain soil composition, maybe some organic fertilizer?

Thanks for the thoughts, Bill. Gwyn began hardening the tomatoes immediately after I mentioned this and added more organic compost, and they seem to be doing well. We have been watering them with 'worm tea' from our vermicomposting bin. Branches with yellow leaves withered and fell off, but new leaves are sprouting from the stem.

We now have five tomato plants, but the other four were only acquired a few days ago and are still settling in. The currant tomato plant has a few flowers growing on the top, one has even opened. Does anyone know if this is a problem? Should we snip them off?

[marcy996]

I'm hardening my tomatoes this week by leaving them out during the day and bringing them in later each night ... yellow leaves now does signal an issue though. Tomatoes want a certain soil composition, maybe some organic fertilizer?

Thanks for the thoughts, Bill. Gwyn began hardening the tomatoes immediately after I mentioned this and added more organic compost, and they seem to be doing well. We have been watering them with 'worm tea' from our vermicomposting bin. Branches with yellow leaves withered and fell off, but new leaves are sprouting from the stem.

We now have five tomato plants, but the other four were only acquired a few days ago and are still settling in. The currant tomato plant has a few flowers growing on the top, one has even opened. Does anyone know if this is a problem? Should we snip them off?

oh my! where do you live that you are already harvesting?? I got a late start planting here in NJ. My tomatoes, cucumbers just went in 1 month ago because of all the cold weather. My strawberries are in planters and they are doing nicely. I had to put wire mesh over them to keep the squirrels away so that the ripe berries will be there for ME and not them. Didn't grow anything else this year. My energy level isn't what it used to be and my allergies have gotten worse so I don't stay out as long. Still, it makes me feel good to sit outside and look at my plants.

[Stoday]

Hopefully your cops are a little brighter than the dozy tw@s in Scotland: Click

Little old lady grows tomato plants in her kitchen and gets raided by the drug squad because they thought the tomatos were cannabis. 

[cariad]

Hopefully your cops are a little brighter than the dozy tw@s in Scotland: Click

Little old lady grows tomato plants in her kitchen and gets raided by the drug squad because they thought the tomatos were cannabis. 

Even I could tell the difference! What sheltered lives they must lead....

[natnnnat]

ah Stoday, that's hilarious! 
"I started laughing because I knew they were tomato plants but it wasn't so funny when they frisked me and then started tearing the house apart."
Honk!

[Bill Peckham]

I'm hardening my tomatoes this week by leaving them out during the day and bringing them in later each night ... yellow leaves now does signal an issue though. Tomatoes want a certain soil composition, maybe some organic fertilizer?

Thanks for the thoughts, Bill. Gwyn began hardening the tomatoes immediately after I mentioned this and added more organic compost, and they seem to be doing well. We have been watering them with 'worm tea' from our vermicomposting bin. Branches with yellow leaves withered and fell off, but new leaves are sprouting from the stem.

We now have five tomato plants, but the other four were only acquired a few days ago and are still settling in. The currant tomato plant has a few flowers growing on the top, one has even opened. Does anyone know if this is a problem? Should we snip them off?

Aaaaaaah flowers are good, don't snip them.

When (if) those flowers pollinate that's what will turn into tomatoes. Tomatoes are air pollinators, just let a breeze do its job or in a green house or indoor situation you can flick the stem to shake some pollen loose.

I've given up on the out doors ... well my lettuce/carrots/peas/potatoes are doing great in my one bed but my tomato plants are all inside in pots, and I finally gave up and I also brought inside the pots of flowers I was trying to grow on my deck. It's been cold and rainy here in Seattle - Mayvember has given way to Junetober

I have some lilies along the fence that I planted a couple Octobers ago , and they're going great. They'll be blooming in the next week or so. One has eight or so flowers and is taller than me.

[paris]

I have 6 Easter Lilys in full bloom.   Yes, a little late, but pretty non the less.  Every year, I stick another one in the ground and hope it will come up.  So, now I have 6 yrs of Easter Lilys  and most people toss the plant out, not knowing what to do with it.

Beth's little garden is doing great.  Her tomato plant is about 6 ft. tall, with lots of blooms and several tiny tomatoes growing.  Her zuchinni is blooming along with her pepper plants.   She is turning into Martha Stewart!  She made 3 pairs of shorts and a pleated skirt this week.

Bill, I will remind her about organic fertilizer.  She wants her tomato plant to do well.   Thanks for sharing.

[natnnnat]

I am trying to grow lawn in two flat trays on my balcony.  It catches the sun in the afternoon.  I want the lawn for my cats, they are used to living in houses rather than apartments on the second floor.  They llove lawn to sit on, and grass to chew on.  But they also love digging.  So while the lawn is establishing, I have it surrounded by chicken wire.   Whenever they find a way in past the wire, i find my balcony covered in dirt and grass seedlings.  Its all a bit of a slow process really.

[marcy996]

Thanks for the thoughts, Bill. Gwyn began hardening the tomatoes immediately after I mentioned this and added more organic compost, and they seem to be doing well. We have been watering them with 'worm tea' from our vermicomposting bin. Branches with yellow leaves withered and fell off, but new leaves are sprouting from the stem.

We now have five tomato plants, but the other four were only acquired a few days ago and are still settling in. The currant tomato plant has a few flowers growing on the top, one has even opened. Does anyone know if this is a problem? Should we snip them off?

Aaaaaaah flowers are good, don't snip them.


I have some lilies along the fence that I planted a couple Octobers ago , and they're going great. They'll be blooming in the next week or so. One has eight or so flowers and is taller than me.

My tomatoes are flowering at last. I am so excited. Still waiting for signs of cucumbers. My neighbor has day lillies all along his fence and they get quite tall with many blooms. Their fragrance takes over my yard. It smells like heaven when they are in bloom.

[Stoday]

Still waiting for signs of cucumbers.

Now you do have to clip out flowers on cucumbers.

Just the male flowers though. Only the female flowers grow into cucumbers and you don't want them fertilized.

[Bill Peckham]

Still waiting for signs of cucumbers.

Now you do have to clip out flowers on cucumbers.

Just the male flowers though. Only the female flowers grow into cucumbers and you don't want them fertilized.

It depends on the variety - most outdoor varieties you leave the flowers on - there are some greenhouse cucumbers that you would have to take off the males but most outdoor varieties need them both.

[Jean]

I am extremely proud to announce that I have the best growing weeds in the state of Ca. Too bad the plants dont grow as well and as fast.

[cariad]

Aaaaaaah flowers are good, don't snip them.

When (if) those flowers pollinate that's what will turn into tomatoes.

OK! There's another embarrassing and disappointing mistake averted over at cariad's. Thanks, Bill!

[MooseMom]

Oh, y'all should see (and smell) my english lavender; I have several varieties, and they are in full bloom and are so wonderful.  My french lavender is also full of buds but are not quite in bloom; should be by this time next week, though.

And I have more strawberries than I know what to do with (no, I don't want to make preserves or jelly; I'm not good at that, I'm not patient enough nor do I have the energy.), so I beg the neighbors to come collect some.

[monrein]

You could ask a neighbour to take some of your strawberries and make freezer jam with it.  Delicious and easier than cooked jam...tastes more like a "fresh" strawberry flavour to me.

[MooseMom]

You could ask a neighbour to take some of your strawberries and make freezer jam with it.  Delicious and easier than cooked jam...tastes more like a "fresh" strawberry flavour to me.

Oh dear...I don't know what "freezer Jam" is; if it's easy, I'll have a go myself.  I'm such a lazy toad.

[monrein]

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/strawberry_freezer_jam.php

[MooseMom]

That looks yumtastic!

[paris]

Freezer jam is the best and very easy.   Like Monrein said, the flavor is more freshlike and is delicious on a piece of toast.  Yummy

[cariad]

Ooooo, freezer jam. That's a new one on me. I hope it works with turbinado sugar....

[monrein]

Here are a few photos of my garden so far  this spring.

[monrein]

A few more.